Argon plasma coagulation instruments utilize a spark, which is fed from a radio frequency (RF) generator to create an argon plasma. Prior to carrying out the actual treatments, users like to carry out a short test, so as to see, whether the instrument is operational. Damaged instruments and incorrect settings can thus be identified early and the use of such instruments on the patient can be avoided. In the case of probes or instruments for argon plasma coagulation, the ignition of the spark can be impacted negatively, if the last argon gas flushing had been performed a while ago or if a reusable probe, which has already been used, is used. Users, who had been faced with inferior ignition behavior of such probes in the past, tend to check the operability, in particular the ignitability, of the probe prior to the use thereof. This course of action is often also suggested by manufacturers of probes for argon plasma coagulation, so as to ensure, in particular in the case of endoscopic probes, that they are only inserted into the endoscope or are only used on the patient, respectively, if the probe or the instrument, respectively, works correctly as well as if matching settings were selected on the device.
A probe cannot simply be tried out on the patient, because injuries can be caused by this. The ignition test on metal parts, which are grounded in an undefined manner, is improper, because it can lead to injuries to patient and personnel as well as to damages to electrical and electronic equipment. It can nonetheless not be excluded that users carry out such improper tests.
From practice, ignition test adapters are known, which were brought on the market by the owner of the instant property right. Instead of the neutral electrode, such an ignition test adapter is to be plugged into the neutral socket of the feeding device and it comprises an electrode, which is grounded in a defined manner. A replugging at the device is thus required. This can have the result that the ignition test adapter is not used and that the user either does not carry out an ignition test or uses points, which are grounded in an undefined manner (equipment trolleys, infusion stands) for the ignition test after all again.
Based on this, it is the object of embodiments of the invention to specify a concept, by means of which the operability, in particular the ignitability, of an instrument or of a probe can be tested prior to the use on the patient in a comfortable manner.
For this purpose, embodiments of the invention provide for an instrument test arrangement, by means of which the probe or the medical instrument can be tested without any danger under defined conditions. The instrument test arrangement can be embodied as modified neutral conductor cable, as plug adapter or can be embodied at the feeding device itself.
The neutral conductor cable includes a connector for the neutral connection of the medical device. The flexible neutral conductor cable extends from the connector to a neutral electrode connection or to a neutral electrode arrangement. In one embodiment, the instrument test arrangement is arranged at the neutral conductor cable. The instrument test arrangement includes an ignition test electrode support, which comprises at least one ignition test electrode, which is connected electrically to the conductor of the cable.
The ignition test electrode support can be attached to the connector, can be built into the connector, can be embodied as part of the connector, can be arranged in the path of the flexible cable section or also at the neutral electrode connection or at the neutral electrode arrangement. The ignition test electrode support includes at least one ignition test electrode, which is connected electrically to the at least one conductor of the flexible cable section.
If the instrument test arrangement is embodied as plug adapter, it has a plug on the side of the device, where it is to be plugged in, and a socket on the side of the cable. Provision can be made between both for a rigid housing or for a cable section. In the latter case, the plug adapter forms a neutral conductor extension cable. The ignition test electrodes can be arranged at any suitable location of the plug adapter.
If the instrument test arrangement is embodied at the device itself, it can comprise one or two ignition test electrodes. If it has only one ignition test electrode, the latter is connected to the neural conductor, which leads to a split stage, which divides the neutral conductor into at least two conductors, which lead to partial electrodes of the neutral electrode arrangement. The split stage has the object of monitoring the correct attaching of the partial electrodes to a patient by means of resistance or impedance test. If the instrument test arrangement has two ignition test electrodes, they can be connected downstream from the two neural conductors, which lead to the two-pole or multi-pole neutral socket and from there to the neutral electrode arrangement via the neutral conductor cable.
In the case of all of the above-mentioned concepts, it is ensured that the circuit of the electric spark, which is ignited as an experiment, does not include the patient, so that negative impacting of the patient is impossible. The test can furthermore be carried out without having to remove the neutral electrode from the patient or the connector from the device. The instrument test arrangement according to embodiments of the invention thus also allows for the operational test in a busy environment with minimum expenditure of time.
The neutral conductor cable preferably comprises two (or more) neutral conductors, which extend from the device or from the plug to the neutral electrode connection or to the neutral electrode arrangement. Preferably, a neutral electrode, which is divided into a plurality of (at least two) partial electrodes, is used. The correct attaching of the two partial electrodes to the patient can be tested by measuring the impedance or the resistance between the two partial electrodes. Preferably, the feeding device includes a corresponding test connection, which measures the resistance between the two conductors and thus between the two partial electrodes attached to the patient. In the case of such a concept, the ignition test electrode support in each case comprises at least one ignition test electrode, which is connected electrically to the conductor, for each conductor. The connection between the ignition test electrode and the conductor is preferably established via a component comprising an electrical impedance, preferably comprising a resistive or capacitive characteristic. In so doing, it is avoided that the spark, which is ignited as an experiment, short-circuits the two conductors with one another or only contacts one of the conductors. Both cases could otherwise lead to an activation of a monitoring system, which tests the correct attaching of the partial electrodes of the neutral electrode arrangement.
Further details of advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of claims, the description and/or the drawings.